Samsonite is a silver manganese antimony sulfosalt mineral with formula Ag4MnSb2S6. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with a typical slender radiating prismatic habit. It is metallic black to steel black with no cleavage and a brittle to conchoidal fracture. In thin fragments it appears reddish brown in transmitted light and also leaves a red streak. It is soft, Mohs hardness of 2.5, and has a specific gravity of 5.51.
| Samsonite | |
|---|---|
 Samsonite crystal from its type locality Samson Mine, St. Andreasberg, Harz, Germany | |
| General | |
| Category | Sulfosalt minerals |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Ag4MnSb2S6 |
| Strunz classification | 2.GA.15 |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Crystal class | Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) |
| Space group | P21/n |
| Unit cell | a = 10.3861(6) Å b = 8.1108(7) Å c = 6.663(7) Å β = 92.639(12)°; Z = 2 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Black |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2+1⁄2 |
| Luster | Metallic |
| Diaphaneity | Opaque |
| Specific gravity | 5.461 (calculated) |
| References | [1][2][3] |
It was first named in 1910 after an occurrence in the Samson Vein of the Sankt Andreasberg silver mines, Harz Mountains, Germany.
See also
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- Classification of minerals
- List of minerals
- Samsonite (luggage brand)
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samsonite (Mineral).
- Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944) Dana's system of mineralogy, (7th edition), v. I, pp. 393–395
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